Egypt’s Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry has cautioned that any Israeli ground assault on Rafah would have “devastating consequences” and claims that Israel’s ultimate goal is to push the Palestinians off their land. Shoukry also mentioned that Egypt is working towards brokering a ceasefire between the conflicting parties and rescuing the remaining hostages taken on Oct. 7 in exchange for Palestinian prisoners in Israel. According to Shoukry, the negotiations are intricate.
Tensions between Netanyahu and the United States are escalating as U.S. officials have expressed concern that an invasion of Rafah without plans for the civilian population would result in a catastrophe. Despite Israel’s advisory for civilians to seek shelter in Rafah from the ongoing ground combat in Khan Younis, airstrikes have been regularly carried out in Rafah.
During the night leading into Saturday, three airstrikes on homes in the Rafah area resulted in the deaths of 28 people, including 10 children. Fadel al-Ghannam, who lost his son, daughter-in-law, and four grandchildren in one of the strikes, fears an even worse outcome with a ground invasion of Rafah and criticized the world’s silence on the matter.
In another strike on a home in Rafah later on Saturday, at least 11 people, including three children, were killed. Additionally, two other strikes killed two policemen and three senior officers in the civil police. In Khan Younis, Israeli forces fired at Nasser Hospital, resulting in casualties and injuries, and the hospital has become difficult to access due to intense fire.
The Gaza Health Ministry reported that 117 people were killed in Israeli airstrikes within 24 hours, bringing the overall death toll to 28,064, with the majority being women and children. The ministry also stated that more than 67,000 people have been injured during the offensive.
Israel initiated the war after thousands of Hamas militants crossed the border into southern Israel on Oct. 7, leading to casualties and hostages. While Israel holds Hamas accountable for civilian deaths due to their operations within civilian areas, U.S. officials have called for more precise strikes. President Joe Biden has criticized Israel’s response as excessive.
Egypt has warned that any movement of Palestinians into Egypt would jeopardize the peace treaty between Israel and Egypt. The Rafah border crossing, a crucial entry point for humanitarian aid, is mostly closed. Prior to the conflict, Rafah’s population was around 280,000, but it has since swelled to approximately 1.4 million with people seeking refuge from other conflict zones.
The offensive has resulted in widespread destruction in northern Gaza, leaving hundreds of thousands of people homeless. In the Tel al-Hawa neighborhood of Gaza City, two medics from the Palestinian Red Crescent, who had gone missing 12 days ago, were found dead in a destroyed ambulance. They had been on a rescue mission for 6-year-old Hind Rajab, who was traveling with her family to evacuate.
